My mother’s response – comforting Bethany and dismissing her outburst as a need to vent – was a familiar refrain. This pattern of excusing my sister’s behavior had persisted for years. It was a dynamic I had accepted for far too long, but the time had come to change the narrative.

That night, fueled by a mix of disbelief and determination, I took decisive action. Revoking the $9,400 tuition deposit and freezing the lease account were steps I never imagined taking, yet they felt necessary. They were not acts of revenge, but rather a strategic move to illustrate the consequences of her actions and to establish boundaries that had been absent for too long.